This Past Grand Master medal from the Independent Order of Odd Fellows brought a $158.05 sale!

We’ve seen numerous and curious objects from fraternal organizations, and each of them has offered us the chance to learn a great deal about their organizations and the collectible nature of their objects.  We’ve seen Masonic rings, Templar swords, and most recently, this medal: a badge of office from the Independent Order of Odd Fellows!

This medal is a real beauty.  In great condition for its age, this piece has all the most well-known symbols for the order, including the three-link chain, the all-seeing eye, and the starburst with the motto surrounding the palm is very distinctive as well.  What’s more is that this piece of I.O.O.F.  history bears the engraved dedication to its original owner on the back, dating it all the way back to 1933.  It brought 14 bids from 7 different bidders, finally selling for $158.05 (which is, incidentally, three times more than the only similar medal on eBay in the past 90 days).

If you have a piece of history like this or any collectible items from a fraternal organization, it could be worth a bundle.  And when sold on eBay, many pieces like this one go into the hands of collectors, or to current members of the organization to be kept in a place of respect (or sometimes presented anew to a deserving individual).  Don’t hesitate to bring your item in, and we’ll find out what it may be worth!

This rare saxophone mouthpiece sold for over $1,300 at Auction Bay!

We have a story to share that illustrates what makes selling through Auction Bay worth your while.  This particular item would have been missed, or lost in the shuffle, but for the diligence of our staff.

Our consignor brought in an old Saxophone to sell, suspecting it might be a valuable model.  It was not easy to identify, as the usual identifying marks on the bell were hard to read, having been re-finished at some point in the instrument’s long lifespan.    Our staff is up for a good challenge, and with some painstaking research and scrutiny, we identified the saxophone… and sure enough it was a hot model: an old CONN Tenor from 1928 .  But the $710.00 sale of that old Sax isn’t the story!  The mouthpiece was the real surprise.

Three mouthpieces were held in a compartment in that saxophone’s case, and our lister pursued a hunch and gave them all some research.  The first two were nothing special, but the final one was positively identified as the rare Super TONE MASTER Saxophone Mouthpiece, made by Otto Link.  The resource we used to identify it described this “Double-Ring” model as “The Holy Grail of large chamber mouthpieces”, and further aided in determining its approximate age range and gave Florida as its point of origin (made after the Otto Link company moved from New York).  Needless to say, we separated the mouthpiece for an individual sale, gave it a full set of high-quality photographs, and then listed it and watched with baited breath.  It accumulated over 80 watchers during its week run, and we were delighted to watch the bidding skyrocket, well past our expected sale price, and all the way up to $1,325.00!

Our consignor was thrilled, and thanked us for finding the hidden treasure in his item.  It’s sales like this that show you the real value of an Auction Bay professional eBay listing over a private listing.  We have research tools at our disposal that others don’t, and we have a dedicated and passionate staff who relish the hunt for items like this.  We care about your items, and we take the extra time to make sure they sell for the highest prices the market will bear.  We only make money if you make money, so we make sure each item has the chance to make your fortune.  Want to know more?  Stop into our store, or give us a call at (219) 926-6416, and we’ll help you sell your items on eBay’s worldwide marketplace!

This Silver Flatware set by TOWLE brought $1,800 at auction!

At Auction Bay, we love to see Sterling Silver items.  Silver brings bids from collectors, jewlers, scrappers, as well as those who desire an item for its intrinsic value.  Often, Sterling Flatware in both old and new styles can bring some impressive sales.  But when you combine the precious metal value with a sought-after pattern from a reputable maker, you get a huge final price!

That was the case recently when we were pleasantly surprised to see a 98-Piece Sterling Silver Flatware set sell better than we expected!  The set was made by Towle, a respected manufacturer (with its own category on eBay, incidentally), in the much-desired Old Master pattern.  This set, in excellent condition and in its presentation box sold for an amazing $1,800.50!

When we accept a Sterling service set, we treat it with the same attention as a piece of jewelry, taking detailed photographs inside our light box.   This showcases the pattern and the condition of the silverware, and gives the potential bidders a great mental picture of how the set would look in their hands and on their dining room table.  We also include photos that show the weight of the set (atop a digital scale).  This gives additional confidence in the value of the lot, and  by pitting the bidders who desire silver for scrap value or collection versus the bidders who want the flatware set for a gift or to match their own set, we can manage top dollar for auctions like this!